The Way Things Are
by PromiseThis
Summary: UNDERGOING RE-WRITE. Why couldn't Gil have just had a girlfriend that Oz could tease him about? Rating increase later. Oz x Gil


**Author Note:** The POV is going to bounce around in this, so bear with me please. I kind of suck about accidentally confusing pov and tense and all that. But Pandora Hearts needs more fanfic and I'm inspired so watch out!

**Warnings:** Boy/Boy love.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own it or profit off of it!

******

It's a curious thing how one 'simple' question can change so much.

They had all been sitting around the dining room at the crack of dawn in varying states while sipping their tea, or eating meat in Alice's case, when the thought crossed Oz's mind. He had been thinking of Ada and been reminded of the brief misunderstanding with Gil while he pondered further who it could be that his sister liked. Back then, before everything with the abyss, the thought of his sister liking someone had never crossed his mind. Gilbert either. Oz himself was always one to flirt, or attempt to, as Uncle Oscar liked to put it, when a cute girl came along. But Gil had always been right by his side, and never looked nor commented on girls; having been too devoted to his duties, he supposed. He had teased Gil about it once or twice, and Gil reacted as expected with blushing and stammering excuses of how he didn't have time or the right to even ponder such things.

But now...? Ten years had passed and, Oz watched as Gil sipped his tea while reading the paper, he was all good looks and strong bodied no matter how much Oz knew him to be the same as back then.

"Hey, Gil... I was wondering...."

The paper and teacup lowered as Gil startled out of the room's previous silence and gave him his full attention. Break and Sharon set their tea aside as well, coincidentally. Alice didn't even flinch.

"Ten years is a long time. Did you ever have a girlfriend?"

_'And how dare he hold out on the juicy details if he had_,' Oz thought as he tried to appear as innocent as possible. Gil was gaping at him in shock, his cheeks getting redder by the second.

"W-what!? That...I ...No! Of course not!" Of course not? Well certainly Gil could be pretty useless, but...

"What? But you said those girls wouldn't leave you alone at the school, so why not?" Oz pouted, followed by a devious smirk. "Or does Gil have a really weird preference?"

"No! T-that..." Gil was sputtering just as bad as in the past and Oz couldn't help but take advantage of it. Break beat him to the next shot though.

"That's funny you should ask, Oz-kun~!" Gilbert went pale and Oz raised an eyebrow as Break went to casually lean on Gil's shoulders, stopping him from getting up to leave as he had been making move to. "Seeing as the little Raven here always used **you** as an excuse to get out of propositions~"

"BREAK!" Gil flailed while Break laughed, "Well it's true~," delightedly sprawled over his back.

"Me? Gil that's awful to lie to girls, I wasn't even around to serve at the time." Oz regretted saying that a bit when Gil paused in his fit to look dejected at the reminder. "You could've just told them that you--"

"Oh but stiff old Raven was always busy with his master Oz, even when he was lost in the abyss. So many years and he just kept saying 'This has nothing to do with getting Oz back, I don't have time for this. Oz, Oz, Oz.' Truly a stick in the mud!" Break tisked while Emily cackled, "And we even tried to set him up!" Gilbert suddenly managed to throw Break's weight off and fled the room with a rush of black material and 'I don't want to be mocked about dating from an old man! ...And I'm not little, I'm taller than you!,' while Oz just blinked.

"...Though his brother wasn't any happier with that than he was." Emily added after, and Break had the decency to grimace. Sharon hid her smile behind her teacup.

"Hey, Oz." Alice finally spoke up, setting aside a plate of spotless bones.

"What is it, Alice?" Oz asked, finishing off the rest of his tea, _'eeh it's gotten slightly cold,' _and staring at the spot where Gil had been. For someone like him it was heart warming that someone would think of him so much, but Gil was...

"What's a girlfriend?"

Oz promptly choked on his tea.

"Oh Alice! How lovely of you to ask!" Sharon was already rushing Alice out of the room as Oz dropped his head into his folded arms.

He hoped Alice didn't learn anything too scandalous from Sharon, but he was glad to be spared giving the explanation - simple as it may seem. Alice's thirst for knowledge was kind of cute though.

"You know, Oz-kun..." Oz flinched when Break's words were suddenly breathed into his ear as the man hovered over him.

"Rabbits aren't the only animals that die when they get lonely. Birds are funny that way as well~"

The words left a stinging pain in his chest. And of course, they were true.

It was a little funny though.

Hypothetically, he seemed to have a pet rabbit _and _raven to worry about.

Oz wondered which would suffer first, or if he could somehow manage to care equally for both...?

Deep down he knew hurting someone was more likely.

****

****

To be continued~

Drama, drama. Hope it's okay so far, heh. :D FFnet sure screws up format, augh.


End file.
